Book Review of Ghost Season by Fatin Abbas
Name of Book: Ghost SeasonAuthor: Fatin Abbas
ISBN: 978-1-324-00174-4
Publisher: W.W. Norton
Type of book: Africa, South Sudan, Saraaya, star-crossed romance, 2002, maps, humanitarian, film, romance, subverting expectations, daily life, culture, army, guns, humanitarian, Western privilege, nuance, bribing, nature, desert, nomads, Nilots, war
Year it was published: 2023
Summary:
A mysterious burnt corpse appears one morning in Saraaya, a remote border town between northern and southern Sudan. For five strangers on an NGO compound, the discovery foreshadows trouble to come. South Sudanese translator William connects the corpse to the sudden disappearance of cook Layla, a northern nomad with whom he’s fallen in love. Meanwhile, Sudanese American filmmaker Dena struggles to connect to her unfamiliar homeland, and white midwestern aid worker Alex finds his plans thwarted by a changing climate and looming civil war. Dancing between the adults is Mustafa, a clever, endearing twelve-year-old, whose schemes to rise out of poverty set off cataclysmic events on the compound.
Amid the paradoxes of identity, art, humanitarian aid, and a territory riven by conflict, William, Layla, Dena, Alex, and Mustafa must forge bonds stronger than blood or identity. Weaving a sweeping history of the breakup of Sudan into the lives of these captivating characters, Fatin Abbas explores the porous and perilous nature of borders—whether they be national, ethnic, or religious—and the profound consequences for those who cross them. Ghost Season is a gripping, vivid debut that announces Abbas as a powerful new voice in fiction.
Main characters include Dena, a young woman who tries to appear masculine and whose family is from Sudan and she has lived in America. She is extremely passionate about creating videos but doesn't know what she will create and focus on. William is from South Sudan, a Nilotic man who is ambitious and takes advantage any opportunities. He is also a translator and a peacemaker and has a soft spot for Mustafa and a big crush on Layla. Layla is from a nomadic tribe and is a Muslim as well as very tenacious and a talented chef and open minded in learning about modern things from William. Alex is an American man who doesn't understand nuance and only wants results instead. He sees himself as generous and big hearted and can be quite surprising in some cases. Mustafa is a twelve year old boy who only tries to make money to send to his mother and younger siblings, and he is willing to do whatever he can for money. He is also naïve too.
Theme:
The subversion of expectations
Plot:
This was written in third person narrative from Dena's, Alex's, William's, Mustafa's and at the end, Layla's points of view. I think its fair to describe this as a slice of life novel that explores the contradictions of art, humanity, the Western privilege, humanitarian efforts, and even romance. I think the big focus would definitely be subversion and control of facets of life. Although the year isn't stated until the end, I definitely thought it took place in 2020s, and only later learned it took place in 2002. Its truly a fascinating tale, and I found myself finishing it very quickly.
Author Information:
(From goodreads)
N/A
Opinion:
I was pretty excited about reading this novel, namely because most of the books I read takes place in either Europe or North America or Asia and only sometimes Africa. (My list of novels that I read that take place in Africa is embarrassingly small...) so a new location in Africa, big yay! And this book is definitely a worthwhile read. The title and the story itself tease and push the boundaries between past and present and only tease at possible futures. The story itself isn't a mystery, but instead it focuses on little things before moving on to bigger issues. What is also a treasure is learning about South Sudanese culture and history which has some elements from The Poisonwood Bible, but while The Poisonwood Bible focuses on a white family, GHOST SEASON focuses on African characters as well as a woman of Sudanese origins who was born in America and an American man who seems to take his privilege and survival for granted.
This was given for review
5 out of 5
(0: Stay away unless a masochist 1: Good for insomnia 2: Horrible but readable; 3: Readable and quickly forgettable, 4: Good, enjoyable 5: Buy it, keep it and never let it go.)
Opinion:
I was pretty excited about reading this novel, namely because most of the books I read takes place in either Europe or North America or Asia and only sometimes Africa. (My list of novels that I read that take place in Africa is embarrassingly small...) so a new location in Africa, big yay! And this book is definitely a worthwhile read. The title and the story itself tease and push the boundaries between past and present and only tease at possible futures. The story itself isn't a mystery, but instead it focuses on little things before moving on to bigger issues. What is also a treasure is learning about South Sudanese culture and history which has some elements from The Poisonwood Bible, but while The Poisonwood Bible focuses on a white family, GHOST SEASON focuses on African characters as well as a woman of Sudanese origins who was born in America and an American man who seems to take his privilege and survival for granted.
This was given for review
5 out of 5
(0: Stay away unless a masochist 1: Good for insomnia 2: Horrible but readable; 3: Readable and quickly forgettable, 4: Good, enjoyable 5: Buy it, keep it and never let it go.)
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